


A Little Help From My Friend

by AKnightOfAGoodKing



Category: Justice League - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Drinking, Established Relationship, Inconvenient Friendships, Insecurity, Mutual Pining, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-11-16
Packaged: 2019-08-14 03:14:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16484939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AKnightOfAGoodKing/pseuds/AKnightOfAGoodKing
Summary: Excerpt:[It is so unfair,Tony thought to himself,to fall in love with not only one extremely attractive godlike man but two.What was even more unfair was to fall in love with a pair that were already together, meaning absolutely no space for anyone else because that was just how things usually were.Maybe it was just because he was an utter and complete fuck-up in general that his entire being started pining for the two hotandinseparable super soldiers. God, even if one of them was even atinybit attracted to him, they deserved anyone else than him, an alcoholic who was afraid of commitment and could barely go through a day without screwing something important up, like a mission or a relationship.][DO NOT REPOST/REUSE  MY WORK(S) WITHOUT MY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND PERMISSION]





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always wanted to write a Stuckony pining fic! As of the moment, it's not complete, but it's currently considered "completed" because I don't know when I'll get around to finishing the thing. I just wanted to share the idea.

_It is so unfair,_ Tony thought to himself, _to fall in love with not only one extremely attractive godlike man but two._ What was even more unfair was to fall in love with a pair that were already together, meaning absolutely no space for anyone else because that was just how things usually were.

Maybe it was just because he was an utter and complete fuck-up in general that his entire being started pining for the two hot _and_ inseparable super soldiers. God, even if one of them was even a _tiny_ bit attracted to him, they deserved anyone else than him, an alcoholic who was afraid of commitment and could barely go through a day without screwing something important up, like a mission or a relationship.

No, wait. Now that he thought about it, Tony was certain they deserved so much _more_ than him. Oddly, that was the reason why it was hard to smile at Steve or Bucky, or both when they were right next to each other. Knowing that truth made him feel so small, because realizing that truth came with the realization that no one could ever love him.

But if Tony Stark was good at one thing, it was the bottle, with all the anger and sadness he felt throughout his entire life, and plastering a large smile and, at times, a whimsical grin. He was so good at it he was sure he bottled up pieces of his heart too, the ones that had chipped away over the years by rejection and loneliness. Yeah, if there was one thing Tony Stark was good at, it would be the bottle.

So that was how the genius playboy billionaire philanthropist decided to deal with his one-sided and unrequited love. Life sucks, he told himself, and honestly, it couldn't get any worse.

Until it did.

This entire mess—his pining—started with the love of his childhood. Through Tony was not quite as obsessed as Agent Agent, the Stark heir did grow up with Captain America as his idol and favorite superhero. It was one of the few things his father ever gave him without disdain.

So when the Avengers became a team, Tony—on the inside—was _stoked_ to be working alongside _the_ Captain America. He felt like a kid in a candy store, carrying a platinum card. (Well, he could do that already, but that's not the point.) However, as time passed and the team began to bond, Captain America had slowly became Steve Rogers.

Sure, there were a lot of disagreements and arguments that happened often, but slowly but surely, Tony had became more comfortable with the blond supersoldier, friends even, and suddenly, he wasn't just looking at his favorite superhero but also Steve, a soldier who was also a splendid artist and a very caring man with a heart of gold.

Suddenly, Tony realized that he was in love with Steve Rogers.

As expected, Tony didn't know what to do, wide-eyed in the middle of the island kitchen staring at the spot that Steve left just seconds ago. The genius managed to catch himself from staring any longer and fled to his lab without raising too much suspicion, but he was sure Natasha noticed something was off. He was glad when she said nothing to him about it the next time they saw each other.

He spent a whole day in his lab after that, thinking everything over, degrading himself, weighing pros and cons, assessing his low worth, and finally coming up with an answer the next day at lunch. He decided he was going to _take_ the chance, but he needed to time, time to gain courage to tell Steve and time to prepare himself for the rejection that was to come.

 _It’s worth the shot,_ he told himself, taking a deep breath. _I can at least tell myself that I tried._

And as he said, Tony spent the next few months gaining courage to confess and prepare himself for rejection. At first, it was really difficult because he was tempted to run away when he was just in the same room with Steve, instantly filled with shame and embarrassment. But he stood his ground, acting as if everything was the same, that nothing has changed. Just a little more time, and he would have done it.

Then, just when he gained the courage he needed—which was a great deal, mind you—Bucky appeared out of nowhere. It was like a cruel twist of faith when the Avengers had responded to some extreme anomalies in Eastern Europe and Steve came across the lab where Hydra had kept a few captured specimen, one of which was the Winter Soldier himself.

“Steve?” the other supersoldier choked out by the time everyone got there. Bucky was disoriented, all the wires and machinery that were attached to him for month ripped out, and Steve was cradling him in his arms.

“It's Steve, Bucky,” the Captain replied, holding back tears of joy and relief. “It's Steve.”

Iron Man watched as the two just looked at each other, how Steve didn't let go of Bucky once until they got back into the Quinnjet, but that was only because it was to dress the unconscious supersoldier in warm and comfortable clothing. The Winter Soldier had been rogue for years, completely off grid until now, and Steve was reunited with his best friend, the person he had been looking for ever since he found out Bucky was still alive. Tony couldn't compete with _that._ Fuck, he didn't have a chance in the first place. _What an idiot,_ he told himself. _It's back to square fucking zero._

Changing his mind, Tony decided it was better to keep his one-sided love for Steve one-sided. There was no point in Steve even knowing in the first place, and Tony didn't want to ruin anything between the two best friends. He may be an asshole, but he tried not to for those he cared for. He cared a lot for Steve.

So what Tony did next could be easily explained with the psychological concept of reaction formation, in which he responded to his loss with cheer and desire to help Bucky out as much as possible. That meant giving the Winter Soldier a whole floor to call his own in the Tower—only one floor below Steve’s—and updating and fixing that nice, shiny metal arm whenever he could.

When he first had a close look at it, Tony couldn't help but gush at the prospect of tinkering with it in every possible way. The technology was old, yes, but it was future proof for at least another two decades. He couldn't believe just how amazing it was almost a hundred years since its conception, and yet at the same time, the gears in his head started to turn, creating ideas to make it greater than it could ever be on its own. He had to wait a few months, though, because Bucky was going through recurring nightmares and flashbacks of the past years. It had taken the patience and understanding of the entire Avengers team to get him not to fall into a defensive position every time someone got five feet near him. They all had similar issues. They knew what could help, and that help greatly.

The first milestone was when Bucky came to Tony’s lab on his own—without Steve too—and asked the genius if he would fix up any damages in his left arm. He hadn't been on an Avenger mission as of yet, but his arm had not been checked in quite a while apparently. Unhesitatingly, Tony said yes, tools already in hand.

That first time, it was a quiet half an hour, and Bucky left quietly with a quick nod of thanks. Neither of them spoke about it later on. Then Bucky came again, almost right after his first time on a mission, and Tony gladly helped, excited.

Tony was so happy because the second visit meant Bucky was starting to trust people again, or at least trying. Six terrifying and exhausting months, and Bucky was starting to trust _him._ The genius felt so flattered and excited that he started chattering right off the bat, only realizing that was talking too much ten minutes into his rant about Justin Hammer.

“Sorry,” Tony said, forcing a chuckle as he replaced a plating on Bucky’s arm.

“It's okay,” Bucky replied with a small grin. “It's interesting to listen to. Keep going.”

Tony paused for a moment, caught unawares. He turned his head away quickly, his focus back on Bucky's arm instead of Bucky's handsome face and charming grin. The genius felt his heart skip a beat without permission and his face a bit warm, but he was able to remain calm, his hands moving skillfully and purposefully.

He kept going.

So after that, Bucky started coming around the lab at least once a day, mostly just to stop by. Sometimes, it was just to say hi, especially on days when Tony hadn’t step out for the day yet. Tony found himself looking forward to his short but timely visits. He also found his heart skipping a beat every time because Bucky always greeted him with a small smile, just for him.

Then, Bucky started to bring small snacks, like finger sandwiches with water and/or juice. “Steve caught on,” the Winter Soldier explained when Tony came around to asking. He placed the small plate on the table the genius was sitting at. “Everyone gets worried when you don't come out to eat, especially Steve. Can't have the leader of the Avengers starving himself, you know? So eat, Stark.”

Tony watched, shocked, as Bucky waved bye and walked out. Catching him, Tony shook his head, deciding to think nothing of the gesture and returned to his project. However, he couldn't bring himself to disappoint Bucky and, by proxy, Steve.

That was the first crack. _In what?_ Tony wasn't sure, but soon afterwards, Bucky’s visits sometimes turned into him hanging out on the small couch in Tony’s lab, flipping through a magazine or book. Everything got much worse—and yet at the same time better—when Steve started to join him on the couch, a sketchbook in one hand and charcoal in the other. Tony almost burned himself the first time the both of them showed up.

“What are you guys doing here?” the genius asked a few visits in, curiosity itching to know and heart pumping too loudly in his own ear. “You know, with taking over my couch and everything. The couches in the living room not comfortable enough?”

Steve shook his head. “It's just relaxing here, Tony,” the Captain replied earnestly. Then his expression turned a little distraught as if he was doing something rude. “Are we bothering you? We can leave.”

“No, no, no!” Tony assured, plastering a smile on his face. “It's fine, Steve, really. I was just curious. I wouldn’t call this place relaxing exactly.”

“Probably because you're here too,” Bucky said, shrugging, going back to his magazine. “But just give us the word, and we’ll leave whenever.”

Tony was speechless, blinking away the hope Bucky's word gave him. He quietly turned away from the two super soldiers in his lab and to the hologram screen before him. For the next hour, Tony worked, watching Steve and Bucky from the corner of his eyes. At the moment of complete relaxation, Tony silently orders JARVIS to take a picture of the two with a message.

JARVIS silently replied back with _Of course, Master Stark. The picture will be placed in your personal file to be seen at a later time._

The later time was nearing midnight, and Tony had returned to the lab after the newly established Avengers movie might. He vaguely remembered the movie that they were watching because he kept glancing over to Steve and Bucky who sat on the other side of the space in front of the hologram screen. At the same time, Bruce glanced at him every so often, raising an eyebrow every time.

He sat himself down on his chair and pulled up the picture of Steve and Bucky. Tony breathed out audibly as he noted just how peaceful they looked, focused on the books in their hands. The calm in their expression made him think the day should keep going so they could be like that forever. (But then again, them being in battle was very sexy, and sexy super soldiers are not something to pass up on.)

“Looking over some pictures, Stark?”

Tony turned around, senses on high alert, and he came to face the god of mischief, Loki Laufeyson. “ _You_ ,” the genius accused with narrowed eyes, his hand hovering over the alert button. “What are you doing here? _How_ did you get in here?”

Loki chuckled, Tony now noticing the unusually civilian clothes the god was wearing—black skinny jeans, dark boots, loose green shirt and a parka jacket.

“Nothing much,” the god answered, shrugging as he nonchalantly dropped himself on the couch Steve and Bucky were on earlier. His body expressed a sense of arrogant boredom with his hands in his parka pocket, but the small grin on his face said he was wanted to start some shit. “Just decided to come here for some company that’s competent, and I do what I want.”

“You didn’t answered my other question,” Tony said, finger still hovering. “How did you get in here? JARVIS should've sounds all the alarms when you're three blocks away.”

“I figured your computer program only recognizes my magical signatures,” Loki explained as if to a child, “so I willingly inhibited my powers. I can only do a few tricks here and there for now so don't worry, Stark. I won't attempt at your life tonight. Be honored that I find you tolerable.”

Tony rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. His concerns suddenly gone. “You're so annoying, Loki,” he said, turning his chair to face the god, “but tell me, what do you like about my company? Besides the fact that I'm so smart and just plain awesome.”

“You have the ego the size of Thor’s stomach, Stark.” It was Loki’s turn to roll his eyes. “I've been bored these days, and I haven't been in the mood of _annoying_ you Avengers either. So I decided it was a fun idea to come and drink with you, Stark, and I mean drink a great deal. Everyone knows that you have a great cabinet.”

Tony smirked, getting up to the small bar he had in all his labs. Drinking with Loki was probably a _bad_ idea, but it'd be a great excuse to do what Tony Stark does best. He immediately grabbed an unopened bottle of scotch and two glass cups, setting them on the table.

“No need for cups, Stark,” Loki said from the other side of the room.

Tony raised an eyebrow but shrugged it off, turning around to grab two more unopened bottles. He grabbed the three bottles and heading towards the couch. He handed Lokie one before sitting down beside him, placing one bottle on the small coffee table in front of them and opening the other.

“Cheers,” the genius said, taking the first sip without waiting. It burned nicely as he swallowed, and he just realized how long it had been since he actually drank. It was all Steve’s fault, he figured.

One sip, and a fourth of the scotch was already gone in his bottle. Tony looked back at Loki, who was taking smaller and slower sips, and leaned back, making himself more comfortable. They sat quietly for a while, both taking sips and walling for one reason or another.

“So, Stark,” Loki started, breaking the silence. Neither had nearly enough to be considered buzzed yet, but the quiet with the mix of alcohol sure damped their usual energy. “What were you doing looking at a picture of the Captain and the Soldier? Don't you see them enough every day?”

“Oh, nothing. I just thought it was a nice picture. Got to appreciate the aesthetics,” Tony answered in place of the actual truth.

Loki snorted, not believing a word the genius had said. He was the god of mischief, so of course he would be able to pick up lies. “No, there's another reason, Stark, and I can tell something’s upsetting you without you even telling me. I saw that look on your face before I even announced my presence. It made you look like an abandoned cat, and I wanted to kick you.”

Tony sighed, finishing up his bottle in less than a half an hour and picking up the unopened bottle on the table. He dropped his empty one, a small thud telling him it landed on the floor. “It's nothing, Loki. It's just a simple case of a one - sided crush. I have the problems of a high school girl.”

“Really, Stark? How juvenile. Don't tell me: you're in love with one of them. Which one? Is it the gorgeous Captain America, or the handsome Winter Soldier? But they're very attractive men, Stark, so I can guess where you're coming from.”

“Oh, shut up. I'm not telling you anything. I don't even know why I'm even letting you stay here. You're a wanted criminal. I should’ve already put your ass behind bars. With SHIELD.”

“Please. You won't, and I'll tell you why you haven’t. You're lonely, Stark, just like me, and you'll take anybody who wants you.”

“Ha, me? Lonely? I'm fucking dying over how stupid your joke is. I'm not lonely. I'm fine. And what do you mean 'like you'? I’m as not 'like you’ as possible.”

Loki scoffed, unexpectedly chugging whatever was left in his bottle (which was about half amount), and threw his head back with his eyes closed. “You may dislike me, Stark,” he began, “but I'm not as blind to my crimes as you think. I destroy, create mayhem, and cause a lot of damage. But think again if I can here to confess all of my sins because I have absolutely no guilt over all of it.”

“Not even the people you hurt?” Tony asked with a hard tone. “Not even children?”

Loki huffed, the corner of his lips quirked up. “Not. At. All,” he stared, half smile up. “They're just obstacles to me, things in the way to what I really want.”

“And what exactly is it that you want?”

“Power,” Like answered without hesitation, but there was just something in his tone that made Tony remain silent, as if the god had not yet finished talking. “Sometimes, though, I'm not sure at all of what I want. Instead, I start doing horrible things because I remember everything I lost.”

Tony whistled, mockingly impress. “What? You saying that you actually miss being Thor’s brother? Haven't you been denying that since you found out?”

Loki continued smiling as if Tony saying that didn't hurt one bit. It was probably mostly true, the genius thought. “See?” the god asked rhetorically. “This is why I find you the most tolerable out of all the Avengers. You're right. I actually do miss being Thor’s brother, mostly because I miss Thor sometimes.”

“And here I thought he was the cause of all your issues.”

“Oh, he is. But he's also the main source of many happy childhood moments, along with Frigga. When we were young, before I found out about my heritage, Thor and I used to spend a lot of time together, doing things that children do. He was the big brother so many people would look up to then. So yes, Stark, at times, I miss being Thor’s little brother.”

Tony was speechless; though his face did not show anything besides calm and blank. Knowing this, he wanted to tell Thor all of this, all of what Loki just told him, but then there was a sympathy from Tony that made him know for certain that he would never tell Thor. Loki, in this _unusual_ mood, was telling him what was obviously a secret, and Tony could not bring himself to expose it.

The god of mischief was _trusting_ him, and Tony, his enemy, was not going to break it.

“Why are you telling me this?” the genius asked, moving the conversation towards something else. “I thought heroes and villains weren't supposed to have a heart to heart with each other without a fight happening at least once. There's something wrong with the Matrix.”

Loki opened an eye, raising an eyebrow. “It's that suppose to be some Midgardian reference?”

Tony grinned.

Surprisingly, the god smiled in return, closing his eye. “I suppose I'm telling you all this because I want to. No other reason. Like I said, I do what I want, and this is what I want to do. Besides, we’re very similar, you and me, so I doubt you'll ever use this against me.”

“Do you expect me to tell you something in return?” Tony asked, noticing that he had just been holding the bottle in his hands. It was mostly full, missing a sip or two.

“Not at all. I believe I'm _confiding_ in you, and I suppose that makes us more than acquaintances, but I refuse to be friends with you.”

Tony burst out laughing, unable to hold back on a bubble of warmth in his stomach. Wow, he had the god of mischief being _nice_ to him, but Loki was still being an arrogant ass. “Cheers to that,” the genius agreed, raising up his almost full bottle. Loki amused him, raising his empty bottle, and without hesitation, as a symbol of their temporary truce, Tony downed half the bottle of scotch in his hands, the burn no more than a spark as it ran from his throat.

Maybe it was the alcohol or the friendly mood between them, Tony was sure he heard Loki giggle in amusement of watching him chug a whole bottle. Once he was done, Tony dropped the now empty bottle on the floor and headed over to his bar again.

“Let's celebrate this new chapter in our relationship, oh god of mischief,” the genius said, looking over his shoulder with a large smile. “I say we drink this bar dry.”

Loki laughed, snapping his fingers, and he disappear in a poof of green smoke, only to reappear again the same smoke sitting on the small island near the bar. “I bet I can out drink you, Stark,” the god simply said with a smile. “No mere human can ever out do a god.”

Tony laughed, passing another bottle to Loki. “You're on,” he replied, looking up. “JARVIS, play some AC/DC.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always wanted to do a Marvel/DC crossover too, with SuperWonderBat so I look forward to finishing this. ^^ Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

When Tony woke up after a night of blackout drinking with one god of mischief and several bottles, he found himself on the couch of the living space that all the Avengers shared in the Tower. He was lying on his side, facing towards the high tech screen that doubled as a TV and a movie screen, and his head was on Loki’s lap, the light of the sunrise stinging his eyes.

He groaned as he twisted his face to hide away from the light. “What time is it?” Tony asked, voice weak and tired. There was a hint of cool peppermint in his mouth. “Why am I on your lap? And why is it so comforting? There’s something wrong with the world.”

Loki let out a weak chuckle, rubbing his face with his hand due to a slight ache. His other hand was in Tony’s hair, unconsciously combing through the mess of black. “I won,” the god answered weakly with a smile of equal strength. “That's what happened. And I'm not helping you clean up.”

“What?” Tony said, getting up in shock.

He cringed at the sudden shift in lighting, blinking to steady his eyesight. When the shift settled in—with an annoying yet bearable ache—he took into account the room and the mess they made.

Empty bottles were littered mostly in the sitting area of the floor, some fallen from the couch they were on and some knocked over. There were little spills here and there, but it was nothing compared to the amount of multicolored pieces of confetti on the floor, the coffee table, the couch. (Tony was sure there was some _in_ his boxer shorts). The coffee table had stacks of gold coins, hundred dollar bills and at least two deck of cards. Did they gamble last night? And did Tony bet anything important?

Tony frowned, thinking to himself on whether he should try to clean it himself or pay someone else to do it for him. “Don't forget the kitchen, Stark,” Loki said, head still in hand. His parka and shoes were missing, and there was confetti in his hair too.

The genius looked over, eyes growing wide the longer he looked. It was as if a white bomb exploded in the simple yet sleek island kitchen. Every inch of the counter was covered in white everything. Sugar. Salt. Baking soda. Flour. Anything that is white and powdery, Tony assumed.

“What were we trying to do?” Tony asked, dropping his head back on Loki’s lap on defeat. Yep, definitely going to pay someone to keep this for him, and more. His whining was muffled by Loki’s pants.

“I don't remember,” Loki replied, pulling Tony up a little by the hair. Tony made a small sound of pain. “Maybe if you ask that voice in the wall, it'll show you footage from last night.”

Tony groaned, pushing his face back on Loki’s lap. “Later. I'm tired, and I don't want to deal with this right now. Remind me to never drink with you again, Loki.”

Loki scoffed, combing through the genius’s hair gently again. “You love drinking with me, Stark. You just don't remember.”

Tony couldn't help but let out a laugh, closing his eyes for a moment. They fell into a comfortable silence, but neither went to sleep though drowsy. It was as if they both wanted to enjoy the calm between them more than get the rest they needed.

“I’m in love with Gorgeous and Handsome,” Tony finally said, more relaxed than he should be by Loki’s soft touches. He hoped the god was understand with the references from last night, before they done any drinking. “They're beautiful.”

Loki hummed in acknowledgement. “And that's why you look so miserable,” he stated, shifting his head to rest on his fist rather than hand. “I would say I pity you, but I would have to pity myself then.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I know what it's like to desire someone who you believe deserves more than you, someone better. Someone of their equal. It's a sad thought, but it's a thought that plagues many. Confide in me, Stark. Take it as payment from me for last night.”

Tony didn't reply, considering Loki’s suggestion. This was Loki, an enemy of the Avengers and a constant pain in his ass for a long time. This _god_ had hurt so many people, especially those closest to him. They weren't even friends. Loki had hurt Thor many times before, and Thor and Tony were friends.

And yet, Tony found Loki’s sympathy to be comforting, not belittling or humiliating at all. They were more similar than Tony would like them to be, and it had almost been two years since he had first fell in love with Steve, then Bucky. And during that time, he hadn't told anybody about it. It wasn't like he didn't trust the Avengers, his team, his _friends,_ because that would include Pepper and Rhodey. He trusted all of them more than he trusted himself, and that was the problem.

 _I can't trust myself,_ Tony thought to himself, not moving a muscle from his place on Loki's lap. _Why did I even think I could start anything with Steve?_ That was probably why he never told anybody. He never had the confidence to let anybody support him in any way, not even himself.

If he was going to fall and break, he didn't expect anybody to catch him because he didn't want anybody to him. It would be okay. It wasn't like it never happened before anyway. He had let himself break before. It was _fine_. He'd always found a way to pick himself up, even if there were a few pieces missing every time.

“Now, now, Stark,” Loki said without any rush, breaking him from his silent train of thought, “you can say what you want. I won't tell a soul.”

Tony shifted, flipping himself around so that he would be on his back but his head still on Loki’s lap. Loki gave him a small smile, his pale hand still combing through Tony’s hair.

“I’m not good for anyone,” Tony started, watching Loki’s expression very careful. He continued when he saw no hint of pity or judgement. “Much less two beautiful men like Steve and Bucky. They're superheros. I looked up to them ever since I was a kid, and just being in the same team with them is fucking amazing. If— If I ask for anything more, something is bound to go wrong. It always does, I know that.

“It's not a metaphor either. When something good happens to me, it never last long or it was all a lie. Like Pepper. I loved her. She loved me, but I'm Iron Man. She couldn't live with it because I'm in constant danger every time I go out. I also have a lot of issues, twenty or so years with an asshole of a father and several betrayals by close friends up until now. Two of the people I loved most died in an accident. If it was just Howard, I wouldn't care too much, but Jarvis and my mother went with him.

“And it wouldn't be fair to them, Gorgeous and Handsome. Ever since they were young, they had each other. If the world ended tomorrow, they would still have each other. I don't fit in. I _can't_ fit in. I can't fit in anywhere, and I'm going to die alone because I'm stupid and worthless and nobody loves me. How can anybody love me? So many people just wanted me for my money. The company. The fame. They got what they wanted, and they left. I didn't matter then. Why would I matter now?”

Tony paused to take a deep breath, trying to steady his voice. He pressed his eyes with the ball of his palms when he felt a wetness. “I'm so tired,” he continued, “of everything. The arc reactor. The money. The coffee. The drinking. Myself. I'm just so tired of everything. I wish everything would just stop.”

The genius stopped talking, a pain bursting from his throat in a sob. “I hate myself so much,” he said, crying behind his hands. “I wish I was dead sometimes.”

Loki gently shushed him, his fingernails brushing through Tony’s scalp like a breeze.  “Poor child,” the god whispered, beginning to hum what sounded like a lullaby. “Go back to sleep, Anthony. I can't promise you anything, but you'll live through this. You won't have to go through it alone. Now sleep. You’ll feel better when you wake up again.”

Exhausted, Tony pulled his hands away from his face and closed his eyes. He fell asleep to soft touches and a quiet lullaby.

Later on the week, it seemed that Loki had told the truth. Tony did feel better when he woke up again that day to a living area that was cleaned of all the mess and any evidence that there was a party of two. Tony found himself alone on the couch with a blanket laid over him.

For the first time in two years, the pain of his pining was dampened and he was able to give Steve and Bucky smiles that were less strained and faked. It was nice. That entire week, he had a pep in his step, and at times, he caught himself humming Loki's lullaby, mostly when he's concentrating on his project or the one instance he was making himself breakfast.

“Tony, where did you learn that song?” the god of thunder asked one morning, getting another Poptart. “I have not heard it in a long while.”

“What song?” Tony asked confused. He was making an omelette.

“The one you were just humming. It is what my mother used to sing to Loki and I when we were but small children. It's a splendid song. I shall ask Mother to sing it for me again when I return to Asgard. It brings back fond memories.” There was a happy smile on Thor's face, brightly framed by his golden like hair.

“Is it? It's just stuck in my head. Loki was humming it too when he came over.”

“Loki was in the Tower?” the golden god with a little surprise. “What was he doing? I hope he did not hurt you, my friend.”

“Oh, no harm, no foul. We just drank and some other stuff I don’t remember well. We drank a lot.” Tony gave out a small chuckle.

Thor became a little crestfallen. “It's a shame he didn’t tell me he was here,” the blond said. “I hadn't had a drink with my brother since I have become an Avenger.”

Tony gave the god a small smile, patting Thor’s hand in comfort. “Don’t be too disappointed. I have a feeling that he'll come around one day. Don't know when, but I know it'll happen, Thor. But until then, you and I can have a drink anytime you want.”

The sadness left Thor’s face, and a smile appeared again. “I’ll take you on that, Man of Iron,” he said, eating his poptart with enthusiasm again.

They went back to their comfortable silence with the sound of Tony humming.

.

.

.

"Batman, have you seen m—"

“—Training room on level three," the Dark Knight said without looking away from the Watchtower monitor. His fingers continued to type away code.

"Thank you,” Wonder Woman said, chuckling out of slight embarrassment of losing her gear. It didn't happen often, but when it did, Batman always knew where it was. She leaned over his seat, taking a moment to speak to her friend before leaving. "We're still going to dinner tonight?"

Batman hummed. "A nice restaurant in Central City for three. We can see a play afterwards if you like."

The Amazon smiled, placing a hand in his shoulder. "We should. Only the gods know how much you do outside of heroism. Relaxation will do you good."

Batman shrugged.

"B! Have you seen m—”

"—At Titan Tower, Superboy borrowed it, for fun. He and Robin are returning it as we speak."

Superman let out a little, "Oh." He paused for a moment, wondering if he needed to chide his son later. Then he decided to worry about a different matter. "They didn't, you know, right?"

Batman merely let the corner of his lip quirk up for a second before proceeding to ignore the strongest man on Earth. Wonder Woman laughed.

"I'll see you tonight," she said, patting Superman on the back.

"Dress—”

"—Semi-formal, we know," both Wonder Woman and Superman said.

"And wear a coat. It'll be cold tonight."

"We'll pick you up, B," Superman continued. "It's at—”

"—8, yes," Wonder Woman finished.

"I can drive myself," Batman argued. "I don't need—”

"—But we're not. We're just giving our friend a ride, Batman. It'll give you more time to dress up—”

"—In that navy blue suit with the satin gray tie?" Superman asked, smiling. "Oh, good idea, Diana, and you can wear that long floral dress with the slit on the side, or maybe the—"

"—High neck party dress you wore at New Year's with the laces," Batman suggested. "Go with that one."

Superman nodded, a little excited. "And I'll wear my—"

"—Gray three-piece Batman bought you for Christmas," Wonder Woman said, approvingly. "I agree. Our colors wouldn't clash. Alright, I'll meet up with you first, Kal—”

"—And we'll get you afterwards, B. Hopefully, it'll give you enough time to get all pretty."

Batman glared over his shoulder in annoyance. "I don't get. _Pretty_ ," he said with warning.

"Because he already is," Wonder Woman teased.

"Get out."

Wonder Woman and Superman snickered on their way out of the monitor womb, and the room was silent, save for Batman's typing and the heavy staring of both Green Lantern and Green Arrow.

"What?"

The speedster had the decency of looking embarrassed at getting caught, but he blurted out, "That was so creepy. How do you guys even do that? I mean I get it if it's two people, like me and Hal, but three? What magic is this?"

"Not magic," Batman dismissed. "It comes with working alongside each other for so long. Teamwork is essential, Flash."

"Yeah, but you don't even have telekinesis to read each other's minds. It's like you just know, you know?"

Batman was tempted to roll his eyes. Lantern laughed, smacking his friend on the arm. "I bet it's also because you really like each other, Batman," he commented. "It's kind of cute watching Wondie and Supes be gentle with you."

That got a direct glare.

Lantern quickly put his hands up in surrender. "I'm just say, Bats, no one's babying you, but you're one of the only regular humans in the League and everyone kind of keeps that in the back of their head. Wonder Woman and Superman most of all."

The glare intensified.

Lantern laughed. "You don't notice, huh?"

Flash let out a giggle. "But the rings," he brought up, much to Batman's slight cringe. His were put in the second most secure pocket of his belt. "They proposed to you. You're never getting out of that relationship.”

“What we're saying, Bats,” Lantern continued, “you’re cute together.”

.

.

.

Loki started to come by ever so often, usually late at night when everyone else but Tony was most certainly asleep. On those nights, the genius would put down whatever he was working on (though taking a tablet if he had some idea he needed to put down immediately), and they would both take a seat on the couch in the lab and drink a bottle or two while watching some movie on a low volume (with captions).

It was odd, Tony mused, having a movie night with Loki. They hadn't gotten as drunk as the first time or told each other some deep secret, but it felt very natural to be _hanging out_ with the god, as if they had know each other for a while, outside of crime and fighting.

“Should I tell them?” Tony asked one god/genius movie night. “Gorgeous and Handsome?”

Loki looked over curiously, taking a slow sip from a glass of bourbon. “You tell me, Anthony,” the god replied, leaning back and looking over to the movie screen. They were watching _The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly._ “Do you want to tell them?”

“Yeah.”

“Then what's stopping you?”

Tony paused for a moment. “I'm scared they might hate me, or be disgusted by me. They're as close as two pieces of metal melted together. They might think I lack morals if they knew I was crushing on either of them. Steve has a strong sense of that, morals.”

Loki scoffed. “Don't people already assume you lack morals before they even _meet_ you? You won't get anywhere if you think about your reputation all the time. Besides, Gorgeous and Handsome won't hate you. They'd probably just kill you.”

“Oh, that makes me feel so much better, Loki. Now I'll never tell them.”

“And that would be your own fault. If you want to do something, then do it. Unless there's a gun at your head or a knife to your throat, literally or metaphorically, no one can stop you but yourself. But if you're uncertain, don't do it until you are. Whether you tell them or not is none of my concern, but do what you want to do. Take the chance while you still have it.”

Tony didn't reply, the quiet sound of the movie playing in the background. “That was very . . . motivational,” the genius finally said, downing his entire glass. “Okay, I'll try. Just be there if I need a pick me up?”

Loki grinned, pouring Tony another glass. “Sure, as payment for the drink and movie,” the god agreed, raising up his glass to the genius. “To your loss of cowardice.”

Tony rolled his eyes, tapping his glass lightly against Loki’s anyway. “You sure know how to make me feel better about myself.”

.

.

.

A battlefield was a much easier challenge to deal with than their current predicament, one that Steve and Bucky had come to a consensus on. Their first conversation on the matter happened only two months ago, eight months after Bucky was rescued from Hydra, and they had just decided to do something about it. Oh, what was the predicament?

They were both smitten with Tony Stark, aka Iron Man. Steve was the first one to, since he had been in the Tower and known Tony longer, and then Bucky after months of being in such close proximity of Tony’s dorkiness and weirdness. They had different reasons to have fallen for him (how Tony was more than an arrogant playboy but was actually kind and caring, especially for the team for Steve, and how Tony had such a passion for his work and was defiant in the face of danger and sometimes even death for Bucky), and they shared the same affections for him (how attractive Tony was, especially when he was focused on a project; how he can't function properly without help when sleep and caffeine deprived).

Mostly of all, they couldn't believe that his entire existence was so unbearably adorable and sexy at the same time, and smart and amazing and so many other things. Take for example, right now when Tony came into the lounging area after thirty-two hours working on a project with Bruce.

The genius came in, hair messy and eyes blinking away some exhaustion, and dragging himself to the island kitchen like a sloth. What was worse was that Tony wasn't wearing his shirt but one of Bruce's dress shirts, which a size or two too big for the MIT genius, over a pair of his own black pants. The sleeves hid his entire arms, but he poked his fingertips out a little as he began to make two cups of coffee. It made him look so small. Steve resisted the urge to go pick Tony up and drag him to bed for sleep and a cuddle for the next twenty-four hours.

“Hey, Tony,” Clint greeted first, tinkering with Legos on the floor. “Why you wearing Bruce's shirt? Had a fun night?”

“Don't you know it,” Tony replied with a weak grin, yawning once. “Also, it's not Bruce's shirt anymore. It's mine. He said I can keep after mine caught in fire.”

Clint whistled a short breath. “Nice. You two going to stop anytime soon?”

Tony hummed as the coffee was done. “Bruce's already asleep on the couch. JARVIS is going lock us out in a few hours, so we'll stop then and start again later.”

“It's a good thing Pepper implemented that protocol after we found you passed out in your lab for the sixth time.”

“That's because _someone_ told Rhodey, and he made me promise to let her do that. I don't know who that is, but I'll find out.”

Tony looked over his shoulders and eyed everyone in the room suspiciously. He turned around a second later to pour two cups and left the lounging area with them in hand.

A moment of comfortable silence passed. “Steve,” Natasha said, not looking up from the SHIELD reports she was reading up on for her next mission.

“Yes, Natasha?” Steve replied, voice calm and steady.

“Your pencil broke.”

The blond looked at his hands, and the pencil he was using to sketch the city view was snapped in half. He didn't recall doing that or even hearing the sound of it snapping. Tiny pieces of coal were sprinkled over the half-finished sketch, and some lines were smeared.

Steve cleared his throat embarrassedly, hearing Clint laughing as he began to make a small replica of the Helicarrier. Bucky cursed one word in Russian, his head leaning back against his chair and his hands covering his face as he let out a groan. Natasha was smiling knowingly.

“That's not fair,” Bucky said through his hands. “He's so cute and small. Steve, why is he so cute and small?”

Steve blushed. “Because he's Tony,” he answered.

Clint snorted. “Oh, my god,” the archer barked out, dropping pieces of Legos in laughter. “This is way funnier than I expected it to be.”

“You knew?” Steve asked, a little surprised but mostly becoming more embarrassed.

“Of course we did,” Natasha replied, still smiling. “It doesn't take a spy to notice you and Barnes starting at Tony’s ass every time he walks out the room. Neither of you are as subtle as you think you are.”

“And that you two smile extra big when he's in the room,” Clint added, chuckling now. “It's like Christmas is coming. Pretty sure Fury knows too.”

Bucky huffed out. “Any idea about how Steve and I should approach him on this?” he asked, crossing his arms. “If you're going to enjoy this, at least be helpful.”

“Very carefully and very straightforward,” Natasha answered. “He has a lot of personal issues; some we know and some we don't. He'll be surprised that you two like him even before thinking about the fact that you are _two men._ He'll need a lot of time and reassurance, and you'd have to give them to him.”

“How do you know that?” Steve couldn't help but ask.

“I was his secretary once. I noticed things.”

Then there was a flash of light, like soundless thunder, crossing in the sky over New York City. There was not a cloud in the sky, and it was not even night. Yet it overshadowed even the sun, and the Avengers assembled.

**Author's Note:**

> If you like my work(s), please check out my Twitter and consider supporting me: [@kappachyun](https://twitter.com/kappachyun?s=09).


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